half-cocked

half-cocked

Prematurely. Like “flash in the pan,” “half-cocked” is a phrase that comes from old firearms. The firing mechanism of a flintlock pistol or musket could be set at full cock, or ready to be discharged, or half cock, which was the equivalent of having a safety on a revolver. A weapon that went off while half-cocked did so prematurely, just like someone who loses his temper without considering the facts or consequences of a situation. To act too soon, especially in a rash or impetuous fashion, is to go off half-cocked.

A word to you dreamers out there: Don't look at this advice and go off half-cocked talking to your spouse about how you're going to start raising ostriches and make $100,000 a year at it--and I doer care if you happen to live on a farm

So we don't go off half-cocked, we still look at the business models, but we do believe, with the likely growth rates of some of these companies going forward, that if the market cap continues to grow along with the growth rates of their revenues, they will become dominant companies and we'll move them out of the emerging growth sector over time.

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